Frosted Donuts and Fatal Falls by Cindy Bell

Author:Cindy Bell [Bell, Cindy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-06-25T16:00:00+00:00

Joyce stepped into the tent just as the lights began to dim. She was a bit startled by the sudden change. As she reached out for something to grab on to, her fingers sank into soft material, and then the firmness of an arm.

“Are you all right there?” Slappy spoke up as he placed his other hand on the small of her back.

The lights flashed bright, and the sudden sight of the clown staring at her nearly took Joyce’s breath away. She stumbled back but held on to his arm to keep herself from falling.

“Slappy!”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” Slappy frowned.

“It’s okay, thank you for helping me. I was just a little startled.” Joyce looked up at the flickering lights. “Is this always how it starts?”

“Yes, it was Cecilia’s idea. A little light show to give the performers an extra few minutes to prepare, and signal to the audience that it’s time to pay attention. I rather like it.” Slappy looked up at the sparkling lights.

“It’s beautiful.” Joyce nodded, then straightened up. “I guess I’d better find a seat.”

“Right over there are some empty spots.” Slappy pointed towards a bleacher that was only half full.

“Thanks, Slappy.” Joyce smiled at him as he walked towards the center ring.

Joyce laughed as she saw his large shoes slapping at the ground. Once she settled on the bench, she was ready to enjoy the show. However, her thoughts shifted to her conversations that morning.

Something Detective Crackle said hung in Joyce’s mind. Would it be possible to find out who killed Rocco before the circus moved on? They couldn’t be kept there forever. She couldn’t imagine the pressure that Detective Crackle must be under. Yet, he didn’t let it show. He spoke and acted as if he had everything under control. Whether he did or not, she couldn’t be sure. But she hoped it was the case.

While the attention of the crowd focused on the action in the center of the ring, which included juggling clowns, and clowns on unicycles, Joyce swept her gaze over the crowd and the sides of the tent. She knew that people relaxed when they didn’t think they were being watched, and that might be the moment that someone made a mistake. She noticed Paisley in the shadows near the edge of the bleachers. She had her arms crossed as she stared at the clowns. No matter what funny thing they did, she didn’t crack a smile. In fact, it appeared that she might be glaring. As Joyce continued to watch her, Cecilia walked up to Paisley. The two began to exchange words. Joyce had to lean forward and squint, but she could make out some of what they said.

“I don’t want to be here.” Paisley frowned.

“Why not? Why wouldn’t you want to honor Rocco’s memory?” Cecilia gestured to the gathered crowd. “Everyone else is here because they want to be.”

“It’s wrong. He just died, and we’re already performing again. It’s just wrong.” Paisley slapped her hands against her thighs and stared at the other woman.

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